I have this weird problem where I’m coming up with strip ideas well in advance, but not being able to knock them out as quickly as I used to. You’ve probably noticed.
I used to be able to pencil, ink, color, shade, letter and do backgrounds a comic in one evening. Now it takes me several night. One night to pencil, one night to ink… so on and so forth.
I really have no idea how I was able to do THREE of these comics a week back in the day. Well, except I was staying up past 2:00 in the morning to do it – sacrificing sanity and effectiveness during the day. Kind of a losing proposition.
You guys continue to be more than patient with me and I appreciate it. I’m trying to find ways to work faster. It just isn’t happening.
At any rate, here’s a new comic about Tom, Truman and Truman’s secret identity. I like to portray Tom as obtuse sometimes. But I don’t think that a dog practicing archery is something that would escape his radar. If anything, that would be something he would actively seek out in his life – and be disappointed when he didn’t find it. The fact that Truman dresses up like Hawkeye and saves lives is basically the best thing that’s ever happened to him.
Truman’s always been a fan-favorite and I like to think it’s because I anthropomorphize him juuusssst enough. Anything more would be like… Well, like Brian on Family Guy, I suspect. Personally, I’m more interested in utilizing a character that doesn’t talk. Kind of hints at a reservoir or deeper understanding.
Anyway, I think I have one more Truman comic in mind before I start moving the plot along to the final conclusion. That’ll include a visit to the charred ruins of the movie theater and a change in the status quo for Charlie and Jimmy that I think you guys are really going to like.
That’s all for now. Thanks, everyone!
Look, Truman. I knew it was you that saved us from the movie theater. I found a practice dummy of the mailman stuck with arrows in the garage.
But I didn't want to expose your secret identity.
I live with a vigilante dog.
Far be it for me to keep him from fighting the good fight!
Spin off series?
Dude, I am always happy when I see another strip, I totally appreciate that you weave an artist magic that I can never truly understand.
But I do understand life getting in the way.
Also, vigilante Truman, awesome!
Hey Tom,
I know I’m not the first person to say this, and I know I’m not gonna be the last, but I want to say thanks for Theater Hopper. I only discovered this series in 2009 but have gone back and read every comic since its inception. It’s been good, great, funny, and even sometimes sad, but always truely enjoyable. Not to get too personal, but this comic had roughly stayed my norm through a varied circumstance of good/bad events.
When you announced at the beginning of the year that you were ending the series, it felt odd, because I knew it would be a change in my life. But it didn’t take too long for me to get over that. Life, itself, is an ever-evolving change and the good things we get out of it cement our outlook as we look back upon it.
I can look back into the theater hopper archives and see great things. Thanks so much Tom, and may your future endeavors be as awesome as this comic series.
Vincent
Hey, Vincent. Sorry I didn’t catch your comment earlier. Thanks so much for your compliments, sincerely. I’m always interested in how people first come to the comic and I consider it an honor that anyone would dive into the archives like you’ve done. I’m especially touched that the comic could be there for you as a constant.
It’s fans like you that make it REALLY hard to give this up. But it sounds like you’ve got the right perspective on it.
Thanks, Vincent. I appreciate it. 🙂